Transfer case grind EDIT: front axle grind

Are you feeling any grinding when you select 4 low ?

 

No, only in 4hi but it grinds as soon as I flip the switch. I know it’s not the front diff because there’s time between when it grinds and the 4wd light goes steady

 

Then your issue is with the 2hi - 4 hi synchro

 

What do you think caused this? I only have 138,000 miles on the truck. Do you think the GL5 oil messed up the synchro?

 

How long have you been driving with low fluid in the transfer case ?
Synchronizers cut through the oil . If there is no oil to cut through , they run on a dry shaft
This issue alone is enough to create a problem
I suggest some Lubegard . Drain out enough to top it off with this stuff
http://www.lubegard.com/~/C-197/LUBEGARD+Gear+Fluid+Supplement
Its top quality and compensates for issues like you are having .
I wouldnt post about it if it didnt work . That Lubegaurd additive is a lifesaver for a transfer case. Use to only be available to transmission shops but Amazon carries it now . Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle . If I am wrong after you add the bottle , make sure you let me know

 

It wasn’t excessively low, maybe a few pumps from a hand pump would fill it up. I’d rather fix the problem than put an additive in to help cover up the problem. Maybe as a temporary fix I’ll try the lubeguard. Do you know of any place I could buy the parts to fix it myself?

 

I would have to take your transfer case all apart and inspect each individual part to tell you how much it would cost to fix .
You cant visually see inside the transfer case without a complete dissasembly .
With this said , I could probably guess that the synchromesh for the 4hi application is worn down but that would be a guess .
Here is an idea
Gonna send you a parts / price list and you can take a guess at the parts you need .
Here is the parts list and prices 2013 Toyota Tacoma Pickup.pdf
You can purchase the parts you need from any Toyota dealership as long as you know what you are looking for

 

I don't believe that is true at all. It is chain driven, but the chain is not moved onto different gears the way a bicycle changes gears.

 

You are correct. I learned something new in the video that was posted.

 

UPDATE: my tcase now grinds on the first shift into 4hi but after that all shifts are smooth. I can’t tell if this is better or worse. It’s going to drop below freezing tonight and I’ll mess with it some more.

 

Tonight I played around in the snow some and once again the first time I flip into 4hi it grinds but after that I can’t recreate the noise

 

Update: I believe a ran into the problem our manual tranny guys run into. I think the GL5 oil was too slick for the transfer case and reduced shift quality. I just put in some gl4/gl5 rated oil and the grinding is completely gone.

@Trucko just in case you’re still having problems, this might be something to try

 

Not sure it matters, are you MT or AT?

Also, what is GL4 rated oil? I replaced the TC fluid with OEM Toyota from stealership. I still grind.
I am willing to try GL4 rated oil but have no clue what you are indicating...

thanks

 

The GL rating is just a rating the American Petroleum Institute gives on the additive package in the gear oil itself the higher the rating the more anti wear and extreme pressure additives. But in some cases like our MTs the GL5 decreases shift quality because the oil is essentially too “slick”...I’m unsure of he science behind it... and I assume that’s the problem I ran into. I’m also an automatic and that shouldn’t matter.

I’m unsure of what the OEM fluid is rated at but to find out just read the bottle, it should tell you.

 

Well now I’m at a loss, last night I didn’t grind at all and this morning it is back to the same old awful noise when I shift in 4h

 

OP Did you use that additive Gearcruncher linked for you??

 

No I never ordered it but today I removed the front drive shaft, jacked the rear end up with the tires spinning and put it into 4wd testing to see if it was infact the Tcase making the noise annnnnnd it wasn’t, I think it’s actually my front end making the noise

 

Anyone have any ideas on what it could be?

 

Hey Derk, i see you are still active on this forum. Can you let us know what the fix was? mine has been doing this since 2017, my only solution has been to only shift into 4x4 high when not moving.

Im quite sure mine is in the front too. I think its a slow weak actuator but i havent found any other posts that have the grind you describe.

Yeah i know this is an old thread but i see Derk is still active here and it will help others like me.

Cheers.

 

You know I never really did figure it out. I’m almost certain it’s the 2hi 4hi synchronizer inside the transfer case. It still happens when it’s cold out but it seems to be marginally better? I tried putting mt90 in and that seemed to help a bit. Money has been kinda tight for awhile so I haven’t really been able to properly diagnose it. I figure if it blows up then I’ll deal with it lol. Sorry I can’t really help